Automatic stop for winding-gear.



J. P. STALEY.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR WINDING GEAR.

APPLICATION nun JUNE 21, 1913.

5, Ptented May 5, 1914.

[III/I174 a mm min. ems es r I COLD-BIA WRAP}! C(L. WASHINGTUN' 0- CuUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FRANCIS STALEY, 0F EXI-IALL, NEAR COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO CYRIL FRANK JACKSON, OF BEDWORTH, ENGLAND.

AUTOMATIC STOP FOR WINDING-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 5, 1914.

Application filed J une 21, 1913. Serial No. 775,141.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN FRANCIS STALEY, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, and residing at- The Laurels, Exhall, near Coventry,Warwickshire, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Automatic Stops for Winding- Gear, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to safety winding mechanism for the winding gearof coal pits and the like, of the type in which a pair of rotatingscrews are driven from the winding engine and carry travelers which areadapted to actuate the steam valve and brake mechanism through themedium of trip mechanism in the event of overwinding, winding in thewrong direction, or excessive speeds. Previous mechanism of this naturehas been extremely complicated and consequently expensive. Further, whenthe mechanism has operated it has been a lengthy and difficult matter toreset it owing to the complication of the apparatus.

The apparatus which forms the subject of the present invention isextremely simple and can be re-set in a few seconds by the engine manalone, which is an important feature. This is accomplished by providinga single weighted steam valve-, and brake-operating lever, which is heldout of operation by a single tripping arm, which is tripped directly bythe travelers in the case of winding in the wrong direction, and isactuated by a pivoted lever of a special type in the event of overwinding, while by pivoting the lever referred to upon the collar of agovernor the same trip lever is moved if the governor collar rises toohigh owing to excessive winding speeds.

Apart from extraneous connections between the weighted lever and thesteam valve and brake mechanism there is only a single operating leverand a single trip device which results in simplicity and cheapness ofmanufacture, and ease of re-setting.

As stated, trip mechanisms in themselves are not novel as in previoussafety devices a number of trip devices have been provided for efiectingvarious purposes, which by the .present invention are carried out by asingle trip device.

In the accompanying drawings, which show one method of carrying out thisinvent-ion, Figure 1 is a side elevation, Fig. 2

is a plan, and Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

In this construction, on a suitable framework are mounted two screws Aand B side by side, each carrying upon it a traveler A or B Thesetravelers, which take the form of nuts Working on the screw threads, areprimarily arranged at opposite ends and the screws are connected bygearing of a suitable ratio with the winding engine. Thus the screws aregeared together by spur gears C so as to rotate in opposite directions,and one screw is driven by a chain C from the shaft C which is coupledup to or rotated by the winding engine. One of the travelers mayconstitute an indicator to show the position of the cages and may carrya pointer (not shown) which travels over a scale marked on any suitablefixed part of the frame.

Each traveler carries at its lower end a roller D or E or some otherform of runner, and a stop D or E Beneath the screws is pivoted a forkedlever or stirrup F, the one end F of which is turned up to form anincline, this incline being at say the right hand side of the mechanism.The left hand end of the lever is adapted, by means of an adjustable setpin G, to trip the releasing mechanism connected to the steam valve andbrake. For instance, in the case illustrated there is mounted upon aspindle H a lever J which is engaged by the set pin G. Also mounted onthe spindle H is the arm K which supports the right hand end of theweighted lever K connected by a rod K to the brake mechanism. The leverK is pivoted on a spindle L on which is mounted an arm L coupled by alink L to the stop valve. Thus when the set pin G engages the lever Jthe brake lever is tripped and the steam valve shut ofi', so thatoverwinding in either direction is prevented. Thus as a traveler movesto the right, it rides up the incline F on the lever F, deflecting this,and so cut ting ofl the steam and applying the brake. When the engine isreversed the first traveler moves from right to left and the second onecomes over to the right. The lever F is forked or duplicated so as to beengaged by both travelers. On the spindle H is also mounted an upwardlyprojecting arm or arms M which is engaged by the stops D and F1 so thata similar result is ol tained when either stop passes its left handlimit. Thus to prevent winding in the wrong direction the traveler forthe time being at the left hand side, by the engagement of its stop D orE with the arm M is adapted, if moved beyond its normal limit, toactuate the steam valve and brake operating mechanism.

The lever F is pivoted to a loose collar N mounted upon a sleeve 0actuated by a governor O the ring and the fulcrum of the lever Ftherefore rising and falling with the engine speed. If the speed becomesexcessive the fulcrum rises higher than it should do and a cross pin Rconnecting the two forks of the lever F strikes a stop P causing thelever to tilt and its operative end to act on the steam valve. Thecollar N is acted upon by a spring Y to take the weightof the lever F.

If desired to the spindle H may be attached an arm X carrying a. weightZ adjustable along the arm so as to cause the trip lever to move rapidlydirectly it is actuated.

After the tripping has taken place it is merely necessary to raise thelever K against its weight and then to turn the lever X intoapproximately the position shown, so that the foot of the lever Kengages the end of the lever K as shown in Fig. 1. The levers K and Xcan be lifted simultaneously by one man so that the mechanism is easilyre-set.

An important improvement of the mechanism described over previousconstruct-ions is that the cage is practically under the control of themechanism during the whole of the wind. Examining Fig. 1 and assumingthat the mechanism is operating the right hand traveler A is in contactwith the lever P which lever is gradually rising owing to the increasingspeed. By the time it has reached the horizontal part. of the lever thepin R- is practically in contact with the stop P, for the mechanism maybe so set that at normal winding speeds this pin is all but in contactwith the stop ready for immediate operation if the speed rises but theslightest bit above the maximum. As the traveler A passes its midposition the left hand traveler B approaches the inclined part of thelever and follows the travel of this. In most mechanisms the travelerswere only in a position to operate toward the ends of the wind and thecage was really not under the control of the safety device at all times.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a winding gear the combination with the winding engine, of a pairof rotatable screws adapted to be driven by said winding engine inopposite directions, a traveling nut on each screw, a single weightedbrake and steam valve actuating lever, a single trip lever controllingsaid actuating lever, a rocking shaft carrying said trip lever, and armson said rocking shaft adapted to be engaged by said traveling nuts so asto rock said rocking shaft to prevent winding in the wrong direction ineither direction of rotation of said winding engine.

2. In a winding gear the combination with the winding engine, of a pairof rotatable screws adapted to be rotated by said winding engine inopposite directions, a traveling nut on each screw, a single weightedbrake and steam valve actuating lever, a single trip lever controllingsaid actuating lever, a rocking shaft carrying said trip lover, a forkedrocking lever adapted to be engaged by either of said traveling nuts,and an arm on said rocking shaft adapted to be operated by said rockinglever so as to rock said shaft, thereby releasing said act-uating leverto prevent o-verwinding in either direction of rotation of the windingengine.

3. In a winding gear the combination with the winding engine, of a pairof rotatable screws adapted to be rotated by said wind ing engine inopposite directions, a traveling nut on each screw, a single weightedbrake and steam valve actuating lever, a single trip lever controllingsaid actuating lover, a rocking shaft carrying said trip lever, agovernor driven from said winding engine, a forked rocking lever pivotedto said governor and adapted to be engaged by either of the travelingnuts in case of excessive speed of said winding engine, and an arm onsaid rocking shaft adapted to be operated by said forked rocking leverto release said actuating lever to reduce the speed of said windingengine.

l. In a winding gear the combination with the winding engine, of a pairof rotatable screws rotated by said winding engine in oppositedirections, a traveling nut on each screw, a single weighted brake andsteam valve actuating lever, a single trip lever controlling saidactuating lever, a rocking shaft carrying said trip lever, a governordriven from said winding engine, a movable sleeve connected with saidgovernor, a forked rocking lever pivoted to said sleeve so as to movetherewith, a lateral projection on said forked rocking lever, a fixedstop in the path of said projection adapted to cause said rocking leverto swing about its fulcrum upon an upward movement of said rockinglever, and an arm on said rocking shaft adapted to be engaged by saidrocking lever to release said actuating lever.

5. In a winding gear the combination with the winding engine, of a pairof rotatable screws adapted'to be rotated by said winding engine inopposite directions, a travelsaid last mentioned arm adapted toaccelering nut on each screw, a single Weighted ate the movement of saidtrip lever. brake and steam valve actuating lever, a In testimonywhereof I have signed my single trip lever controlling said actuatingname to this specification in the presence of 5 lever, a rocking shaft.lizarryilngf sa-icll trig two subscribing Witnesses.

ever, arms on said roc ing s a t a apte to be engaged by said travelingnuts so as JOHN FRANCIS STALEY to rock said rocking shaft, therebyreleasing g Witnesses: said actuating lever, a second arm on said ERIOHWALroRD, 10 rocking shaft, and an adjustable weight on E. ALLENSTRINGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

